Sierra National Forest Offers Free Pine Seedlings To The Public

NORTH FORK – The Bass Lake Ranger District is set to begin its 2018 reforestation program.

During the next two months, contract and Forest Service crews will be planting approximately 350 acres focusing on the areas of the 2014 French and Courtney Fires. Approximately 250 to 320 seedlings per acre will be planted on the district, totaling up to 100,000 trees.

Openings will be planted with a mixture of ponderosa pine, incense cedar and sugar pine trees.

Foothill residents in the North Fork, Oakhurst and Mariposa area are welcome to participate in the spring planting program, by planting ponderosa pine seedlings on their property.

The Bass Lake Ranger District North Fork office has bare root one-year-old ponderosa pine seedlings available for adoption. These seedlings are excess to the district reforestation program this year, and the amount available for adoption is usually several hundred.

Seedlings are grown from seed picked a number of years in advance by the Forest Service, and stored at Forest Service nurseries. In order to accomplish large reforestation objectives, seedlings are ordered one to two years in advance of planting.

Many of the trees being planted were grown at the Placerville nursery. The blister rust resistant sugar pine being planted is grown as one-year-old containerized stock. These seedlings are grown in tubes measuring about 1” by 6” in green houses.

Persons wishing to adopt seedlings may obtain 5 to 10 at a time from the Sierra National Forest’s Bass Lake Ranger District office in North Fork, located at 57003 Road 225, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“By extending this seedling planting program across property boundaries, we are assured the proper seed stock is planted in the area forests,” said Mike Nolen of the Bass Lake Ranger District. “The public has been very supportive of this program in the past, just to add trees or to replace those that have died. People are passionate about their forest.”

To minimize moisture and heat stress, seedlings should be transported in an ice chest with the roots covered with a moist towel and planted the same day, when possible. Instructions on how to plant the seedlings will be included during your pick up. These seedlings are meant to be planted on private property.

For more information on seedling adoption, please contact the North Fork office at 559- 877-2218.